MADISONVILLE, Ky. (5/2/13) – Madisonville native Evan Daniel Shepherd has recently been selected as one of only 62 students in the nation to receive the prestigious 2013 Harry S. Truman scholarship.

The Truman Scholarship recognizes college juniors with a record of outstanding leadership and community involvement who want to pursue careers in public service.

Mother, Cynthia Shepherd of Madisonville, and Father, Charles Shepherd of Louisville, are proud of their son’s achievements, which are ongoing.

Shepherd received a football scholarship when he was in high school, but opted to attend University of Louisville (U of L) to focus on academics and still continues to do so. He is a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar in the Porter’s Scholars Program of U of L, as well as a national Gates Millennium Scholar.

In 2012 Shepherd earned an internship as a Henry Clay Intern, awarded from the Kentucky Society of Washington for a summer in D.C. where he worked in the office of Senator Mitch McConnell. He spent fall 2012 studying European politics at Kings College London.

On campus, Shepherd is an active member of the Student Orientation Staff, as well as being one of the founding members of the re-chartered Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He is also active in the SGA, having served as Senator, Assistant to the President, and Assistant to the Political Director. His service to the community includes Go-to High School, Go-to-College, the African American Male Initiative and Collegiate 100.

Shepherd is the only 2013 Truman Scholar from Kentucky.

He will be graduating from U of L in May 2014 as a Political science major and plans to use his Truman scholarship to pursue dual degrees in law and education at Stanford University. Once he finishes the Truman Awards Week at the beginning of June, he is going to tour China with the other rising senior McConnell scholars and also study abroad while in China.